Western appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1885-18??, 1887-12-17
CHEAPER TELEGh- DIV

"a Measure for a Postal Telegraph ~
| tem--He Also Presents 0 Import .
Amendments to the Interstate CoMk
merce Law.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 14-The Postal Tele-
graph bill Introduced by Senator Cullom
yesterday establishes the United States
postal telegraph as part OF the postal
system OF the United States, and for the
| purpose OF inaugurating the system, pro
vided that the following telegraph trunk
lines shall first be constructed:
| r One from Washington to Portland, Me-. via
Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Camden,
Trenton, \ Newark, Jersey City, New York,
Brooklyn, New Haven, Hartford, Provi-
dence@ and Boston; one from ashing-
ton to Minneapolis via Pittsburgh. Cleve-
land, Toledo, Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, La
| Crosse and ST. Paul; one from New York City
to Cleveland O., Albany, Syracuse Rochester,
Buffalo and Erie, Pa; one from Pittsburgh to
| Topeka, Kan, via Columbus, Cincinnati In
| dianapols, ST. Louis and Kansas City, and
| minor towns near the large cities; one from To-
ledo to Detroit; one from Washington to Gal
| weston, via Richmond Charlotte, Columbia,
| Augusta, Atlanta, Montgomery and New Or
leans; one from Chicago to New Orleans, via
| Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville, Memphis
and Vicksburgh; one from Chicago to St. Louis,
via Peoria and Springf1eld; one from Chicago
to San Francisco, via Des Mofnes, Omaha,
Cheyenne, Salt Lake City, Carson City and
other towns en- route, and one from Cheyenne
! to Denver.
| Postal telegraph offices are to be opened at
| tho places named and at all intermediate
| points at which first, second or third-class
| post-ofaces are established Branch lines. it
provides, shall be- constructed from time to
time as appropriations therefor are
made by Congress, the intention be-
| ing to connect the lines with all cities where
the DOsta1 free 6p1ivarr cuctoro ,,rovo;1c. 1,,+
no additional facilities arctic be provided in
| States already connected with the trunk lines
until postal telegraph offices have been estab-
l1shed in every State and Territory. The sys-
| tenn is to be constructed in straight lines, as
near as practicable, but regard is to be taken
| OF cities that will afford the best telegraphic
facilities to the public.
The lines are to be constructed by the engi-
| neer corps of the army and then transferred to
| the custody of the Postmaster General The
poles are to be Of iron, the wires of copper, and
| all other materials Of the best character. Eight
wires are to be strung on the line from New
| YorR to Chicago and four upon other lines.
The Secretary of War is authorized to use the
| military service lines Of the United States as
Tar as expedient, and also to make all neces-
sary condemnation OF lands or buildings at q
| fair compensation. All disputes as to what is
fair compensation are to be settled by the
Court of Claims. The Secretary is further au-
| oAAoAA1 w SOuetluCt3 Jake dllll uS6 III ma.
| ehinery and devices, net Including telegraph
lines, whether patented or not, as shall b.
deemed necessary, the compensation to be de-
! termlned IN the same manner as condemna-
| lions OF land. The sums Of money necessary
for this purpose are appropriated by the bill.
| Arate Of 10 cents for each 20 words and S
cents for each additional Is words is fixed for
distances Of under 500 miles, and an additional
rate of s cents for each $50 miles over 500. A
night rate of IS cents and day rate of rs cents
Is fixed for each 100 words trans
mitted for newspapers, except that where the
same dispatch is dropped off at more than
one office the rates Shall be IS and
bO cents respectively, for each dropped copy.
The office Of drector-general of telegraphs is
created as part of the Post-otflce Department.
It made the duty of the 5Postmaster-Genera
to report to Congress after the passage of the
act plan for the complete organization of the
postal telegraph system, with detailed esti-
mates OF men and money needed Before the
| system Is put into operation and employees Sc
lected examinations are to be held by the Civil
Service Commission to determine the fitness of
| applicants Four million dollars is appropri.
ated for the location and construction of the
telegraph lines provided by the act.
| WASHINGTON Dec. Ex-senator Cullom.
chairman OF the Interstate Commerce Com
mittee, has prepared a series OF amend
ments to the Interstate Commerce law
which he presented in the Senate yester-
day: These amendments embody the
most Important suggestions that have been
made as to defects in the law, including the
recommendations of the Interstate Com
mlssionera The amendments are vol
luminous and are in prolix legal form Fol-
lowing is synopsis of the more important
provisions:
| !. To extend the provisions of the act so as to
make the act apply to express companies, sleep
| 1ng-car companies, draWing-roOm car compa-
MES, palacecar companies, stock-car compa-
| MES, tank-car companies, and ANY other aom.
panles, associations or persons, furnishing for
public use upon railroads, cars or other in
strumentalities for the transportation of pas
sengers or property" This is intended to In.
clude every possible monopoly like the Stand.
ard OIL Com pany, which uses the rails.
| Z. The words or other carriers" are III.
serted twice in the fifth section, so as to pro-
hibit not only pooling between different rail-
| roads, but between different railroads and
| other carriers.
| 8. In the sixth section, which relates to the
publication OF rates, the provisions with re-
spect to the advance and reduction In rates are
! repeated so as to apply specifically to Joint
through rates. The short=haul provision is
also repeated, in order that there shall be no
question that 1t also applies to joint through
rates.
4. AS to the short-haul provision, it is pro.
vided that where complaint is made against
| Two or more carriers for violating it and the
violations occur between POINTS on the road of
one only, that road only shall be held liable
for the violation.
s. An addition to section Is, which relates to
compensation for damages, is proposed to the
| effect that when complainant is seeking to re-,
! cover damages the carrier may file with the
| commission its consents that the commission
| may pass upon the question Of damages. And
| IN such case the carrier shall be bound by the
decision of the commission, and the decision OF
he commission shall stand as Judgment,
| which may be enforced by execution bv
United States Marshal in the same man.
ner as judgments of the United States
Circuit Court are enforced. In case
such assent is not filed, the COM
mission may investigate and report upon
the subject Of damages, and if it shall report
that the complainant has suffered damages to
o specified amount, it may name the time for
the payment Of such damages; and If the car
rier shall make the payment within the time
named, the sum shall be in full satisfaction OF
any claim the complainant might have under
| the act in respect to the grievances complained
OF. But If such payment is not made the COM
plainant may proceed in any United States court
| Of competent jurisdiction to recover damages
for the wrongs suffered, and such proceedings,
| finding, and report Of the commission shall be
prima facie evidence of the fact found. Pro-
vision is also made to take the commission out
Of the jurisdiction of the Interior Department,
to make it independent, and to require it to re.
port direct to Congress- as recommended by
the Secretary Of the. Interior. The object OF
this change is to make the commission as indie
dendent of any administration as is any United
| States court. Il.
UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION
Colonel Marshal Mcdonald Tells Of the
| Work Done Last Year.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, Dec 14.-Colonel Mar
shall Mcdonald, Chief Assistant to the United